STATEMENT OF PARTIDO LIBERAL ON MACHINATIONS AGAINST THE CHIEF JUSTICE, VIOLATING THE CONSTITUTION

The bedrock of democracy is the rule of law and an independent judiciary branch with unfettered freedom to decide impartially, in accordance with its members’ conscience and facts.

Regrettably, what we are seeing is the slow weakening of judicial independence and dilution of check-and-balance that endangers democracy and ushers in the rule of autocracy.

What we are seeing is the Executive and the Legislative branches and some members of the Supreme Court ganging up on Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno through the impeachment process and beyond the bounds of such exercise. Is everyone toeing the line of authoritarianism and the stifling of dissent?

We hope we can allow the Chief Justice to have her day in court when the impeachment trial goes to the Senate. The only constitutional way to remove the Chief Justice is through the impeachment process; the magistrates of the high court should know this no less. Any machinations to oust her from office outside of impeachment would be in violation of the Constitution that the justices have been sworn to protect and uphold.

Without judging Chief Justice Sereno’s guilt or innocence, we believe in her firm stance to fight the allegations against her through the impeachment process. It is a fight as well for the independence of the judiciary and for the democratic values instilled in our Constitution.